This innovative text introduces neuroscience students to the visual language of scientific publications, teaching scientific literacy, research methods, and graphical literacy in an engaging way. Employing a 'pictures first' pedagogical approach, it walks the reader step-by-step through the interpretation of neuroscience figures and explains the principles of experimental design. The major research techniques - from neuroimaging, to behavioral methods, to genetics and comparative approaches - are explored, illuminating how they are represented graphically in journal articles, and their strengths and limitations as a research tool. More than 130 example figures provide experimental paradigms for the more difficult-to-visualize methods, and depict actual results taken from the recently published scientific literature. Data from several study designs are discussed, including clinical case studies, meta-analyses, and experiments from behavior to molecular genetics. Concrete examples of experiments are provided along with each method, helping students with the design of their own research questions.

A crash course in understanding neuroscience figures, graphs and the underlying methods. For undergraduates and graduates in neuroscience.

About the Author
Austin Lim is the lead author on the Open Neuroscience Initiative (2021), a free to access and adopt textbook for students of introductory neuroscience. In 2023, he was the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from DePaul University. He published an educational board game, NeuroNavigator, designed to teach students about neuroanatomy. He has also published two children's books about brain science: Cellular Neurobiology for Babies! and Neuroscience from A to Z for Babies! (2021).


Book Information
ISBN 9781009344265
Author Austin Lim
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press